Aftercare
by Tsumi-Amethyst
Summary: With Ryu posing as his legal guardian, Yoh gets his bellybutton pierced. Will his parents find out when his new Battle Costume doesn't fit too well?
1. Battle Costumes

Tsumi – Amethyst: Just a short, humour-ish one shot I thought of. Reminds me of a few of my friends who have recently acquired piercings. I envy them. I have a tattoo but my Mom refuses to let me have my lip, eyebrow and nose pierced. Grrr. Sometimes, I really don't understand parents. Although I did once have my bellybutton pierced… Anyways, here's the fic. :D

"Sometimes, I really regret having this done."

Yoh screwed the cap back onto the cleaning fluid and began dabbing at his stomach, his body flat against his bed, eyes fixed on the tender spot. The cotton, soaked in cleansing substance, touched the affected area and the boy hissed ever so slightly, reminding himself that the pain was worth it.

After becoming Shaman King, the boy had nothing to work towards, and although it pained him to admit it, he was bored. His parents had become lax with him, allowing him a taste of the life he would have had if he had not been a Shaman. In the weeks that followed the conclusion of the Shaman Tournament, Yoh had been able to socialise more than ever, and had even gone to have his belly button pierced.

This of course, was the piercing he was cleaning. Of course, Yoh's parents had yet to find out that their son had done such a thing, as the teenager had not taken them with him to the shop where he had been pierced.

Instead, it had been Ryu who had signed the documents, declaring himself as Mikihisa Asakura, legal parent of Yoh Asakura. Of course, Manta and Horo had been there also, watching in both fascination and horror as Yoh's skin was frozen and then penetrated, the latter revelling in the fact that the ordeal hade made Yoh pale.

"Yoh-dono… Urgh…" Amidamaru paused, finding himself in a moment as shock as he took in the piercing yet again. The Shaman smiled and finished, disposing of the dirty cotton pad in the nearby bin.

"What's up, Amidamaru?"

"…" The samurai winced as the boy stretched, now unable to tear his gaze away from the piercing. He had held mixed feelings for his Lord's aesthetic jewellery, having not seen such a thing before, but when he placed himself out of his usual standpoint, he knew that it suited the boy.

"They're ready for you," Amidamaru answered at length, sighing as Yoh used him as support as he struggled to his feet.

"Thanks, 'Maru!" Yoh called as he made his way along the Tatami mats that served as a carpet. He reached his Mother and Father and grinned at them, offering a usual greeting.

Keiko did the same, her husband handing Yoh some neatly stitched clothes. "That is your new battle uniform, hand-stitched by your Grandmother. She will make you a spare as soon as she can, but until then, try not to rip it." Mikihisa explained, and Yoh inwardly groaned. He nodded silently and turned back towards his room, his guardian ghost still there. Yoh threw his new battle costume onto his bed, shedding his shirt before turning to Amidamaru, blushing.

"Umm… I need to get changed…" Yoh mumbled.

Amidamaru turned and blushed heavily at the sight of the half naked boy.

"Forgive me, Yoh-dono," He said huskily, "I was just thinking…" With that, the samurai gave the boy his privacy and left. Yoh unzipped his pants and shucked them, unfolding the new garments, gasping in surprise.

The design had definitely improved. For one, the material was different, less constricting, allowing for ease of movement. The orange stripes had been replaced with navy ones, accompanied by a small dragon in blue stitching on the breast and back of the shirt. Yoh admired the shirt for a moment longer before his smile faded, face turning into a worried frown.

"Shit," He whispered.

Since the last battle costume had been made, Yoh had grown by about two inches. His previous outfit had been a little small, granted, but it seemed his Grandmother had underestimated just how much her Grandson had grown.

This would make hiding his piercing for just a little longer more difficult. Just by looking at it, Yoh could tell that the bottom of the shirt would expose his stomach, and the teenager could not take out his bar for another week yet. Besides, even if he could remove the piercing, his parents would most definitely notice the vertical holes in his stomach, leading to some very interesting questions.

Yoh swallowed, hard. He knew that his Grandmother would be really hurt if he didn't model his new clothing for them before he got them ruined in a Shaman fight…

He sighed, knowing what he would have to do. He pulled on the shirt, liking the feel of the material against his skin, and after slipping into his shorts; he stepped outside, finding Amidamaru just outside the door. The samurai's jaw dropped as he openly gaped at the boy, azure eyes raking intently over the thinly clad form.

Yoh scratched the back of his neck, cheeks flushing a deep red beneath Amidamaru's intense gaze. "Thanks," He said cheerfully, reassured, taking small steps down to the corridor, hearing the samurai cry out in admiration of the dragon on his back.

Yoh stepped out into his family's intent stares, hearing shouts of appreciation and, 'It suits you so well!' He simply stood and did as they asked, trying to avoid attracting attention to his midriff. The last thing he needed was a lecture on what not to get pierced, and how dishonest it had been to use Ryu for the sake of his aesthetic pleasure.

And then, just when Yoh had stood there for quite some time, when Kino said those fatal words:

"Come closer, Yoh. Let me see how it fits you."

Yoh swallowed and nodded to his Grandmother, wondering why everything seemed to have gone quiet, save for the sound of blood pounding in his ears. He clenched his fists at his sides and made his way towards the diminutive lady, closing his eyes when he heard her gasp. Here it comes… Grounded for a month… No visitors… No phone calls… No letters… No freedom… All because he'd been thoughtless enough to -

"You've grown! This thing barely fits you!"

Yoh's eyes reopened. Keiko nodded, eyeing the top of her son's head with a look that suggested she was both happy and sad.

"It's scary how fast they grow up these days."

"It's not your fault," Yoh insisted, "This is the best battle outfit you've made me yet! It's comfy and it let's my skin breathe! And to tip it off, the dragon designs are so impressive, even Ren would have an org—"

"Yes, well," Keiko cut through her son's absent-minded sentence, smiling truly now, "It won't take much just to take out the stitches and add a bit on, will it, Kino? I'm sure you'd be able to incorporate another style with this one, too."

Kino nodded. "Get changed again, Yoh. I still have work to do."

Yoh inwardly sighed with relief. He went to leave the room, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I'd like you to explain what the hell that thing is sticking out of your body," Mikihisa whispered, too low for the teenager's Grandparents to hear.

Yoh froze.

Tsumi – Amethyst: Meh. Like I said, a quick one shot with humour-ish undertones. Please R&R! I may continue with this if you gies want! I'm open to suggestions, requests, challenges and the like. Please! Give me something to work for!

XXX


	2. Going Insane

Tsumi – Amethyst: Thank you to the only reviewer. You know who you are, obviously, because you'll be the only one reading this!! … Anyways, this is for you, sweetheart!

Mikihisa turned sharply, resuming a sitting position on the sofa opposite his son. He did not say a word.

Yoh swallowed, knowing that he was faced with a difficult decision. He could tell his father that Ryu had been the one to pose as his legal guardian for a few minutes… Or he could lie, hiding the truth and taking full responsibility for the event, taking the honest way that would probably destroy his social life for a year.

Both solutions seemed as bad as the other. Yoh was not disloyal to his friends, and so would never want to get Ryu into trouble… But on the other hand, this was his Father he had defied. His punishment would be harsh, he knew it, and as much as he didn't like it, Yoh would have to accept it without question.

Still wearing his ill-fitting battle costume, Yoh breathed deeply and sat down, feeling the presence of his spirit guardian enter the room and sit beside him on the sofa, purely for moral support. Amidamaru said nothing and smiled politely at Mikihisa, a silent gesture of respect.

It went unnoticed by the seething Shaman.

"So, Yoh," Mikihisa began, his voice low and cold, "How long have you been hiding this from us?" He waved his hand in the direction of Yoh's stomach.

Yoh stared at his father's mask directly, thankful that he could not see the anger on his father's face. He could hide behind that obstacle at times such as this, and formed himself a pocket of solace from this. He was also vaguely aware that his father was refusing to look at the jewellery that had pierced his son's body, and for that felt a slight surge of pride.

He had grossed out his father.

"I've had it for two weeks now," Yoh answered confidently, pleased that his voice had not showed any signs of fear... For now, anyway. His eyes displayed his emotions well enough, but before Mikihisa could check, Yoh had averted the gaze.

Mikihisa nodded slowly, processing the information slowly. "And when were you planning on telling us that you've had… It… pierced?" His voice was unnaturally low and quiet, so Yoh had to strain to hear him properly.

The Shaman King flinched, prepared to do battle with his father if things resorted to that. He did not regret having his navel pierced at all, and whether his father approved of it or not, it was there, and nothing he could do would remove it from the boy's body.

Well, he could try to wrench it from his son's body, but Amidamaru would still the man's hand before it got within reach of his liege. No matter how wrong Amidamaru believed the situation to be, if someone harmed his master, they would pay. Yoh grinned, grateful all of a sudden for the protectiveness of the samurai. Although it had proved to be a burden on more than one occasion, the renegade's heart was in the right place. It was nice to have someone who supported you, even if you were, technically, in the wrong.

"I wasn't," He replied truthfully, shrugging. He hadn't decided when the best time would be to confess all, but his response had been easier to say. Quite simply, it was a more straightforward answer.

Mikihisa twitched.

Unfortunately for Yoh, that hadn't been the answer he'd wanted. "I'm going to take you back to the store," He said, leaning forward in his seat, his voice just above a hiss, "And have it taken out. And we're going _now_."

Yoh couldn't even get changed from his Battle Costume. His father grabbed the teen's wrist roughly, and took him outside, striding through falling leaves and wandering leave sprites in his anger. The sprites parted, hissing moodily at the retreating Shaman, both bemused and offended.

Yoh tried to reason with his father, staggering to keep up with Mikihisa's long strides.

"C'mon, dad, it's not like you've never done anything bad! I could've done something even worse, like gotten a tattoo or made someone pregnant!"

"You've broken the law," Mikihisa countered, "And I would never be so dishonest to my elders. Have I not taught you anything about manners? Where is your sense of family honour and responsibility?!"

Amidamaru, who had followed his young master, began to speak.

"With all due respect, Mikihisa-sama, it is not bad manners to have a part of your body modified. Yoh has simply been unable to do anything that he wants to for a long time, and this is one way that he has been able to vent these rebellious frustrations. It is expected of a boy his age, and I am sure that he meant no harm."

"True," Mikihisa thought after a moment, glaring at the samurai stonily. He hated it when he was proved wrong in an argument. "But he has deceived me. If word gets out, our uncontrollable teenage son will put our family to shame! I do not want his first act as Shaman King to be a stain on our reputation."

'Yeah, because Hao was really controllable.' Yoh thought to himself furiously, being forced into the small family car that his father owned. 'And everyone knew about that! But oh no, when it's the other son, the _good twin_, it's a different fucking story.'

Mikihisa haphazardly pulled out of the long driveway, scattering more leaf sprites with a smoky cloud of fumes as he went. He drove haphazardly down the gentle slope, turning corners so sharply that Yoh slammed his shoulder into the door when he wasn't paying attention.

"Rage is blinding you," Mikihisa grumbled beneath his breath, making Yoh unsure of who he was actually referring to, "Don't let it control you, overcome it, rise above it, now push it into the back of your mind… Don't let it be in command of you, just let it all out…"

Yoh rolled his eyes. If their family wasn't so honour and tradition bound, they wouldn't be afraid of progress. They would not have any problems with allowing their son to have a piercing or two, because it was normal for a teenager to modify his body in such a way.

"Has another one of your friends had something pierced?" Mikihisa asked suddenly, eyes fixed on the road in a fractious glare.

Yoh nodded, telling himself that letting his father know would hurt nobody.

"Horo is going back next week to have his lip pierced… But has just had three ear piercings. With his parents consent," He added, before Mikihisa could chastise him, "And Ren had just one in his left lobe, but that was just to prove he wasn't a wimp. I think he might be going back soon though, and I know for certain that Faust is getting the Industrial before he goes back to Germany."

Mikihisa growled.

"Faust is a grown man," He said between gritted teeth, swiftly overtaking the car in front, receiving a melee of angry horns from various frustrated drivers. "And as for Horo and Ren, they are none of my concern. You are my concern and this is most unlike you. You ought to be ashamed."

Yoh blinked at his father's antics. 'Uncharacteristic? Take a look at yourself old man, you're the one driving for a change, you're the one giving me the bollucking of a lifetime.'

Amidamaru tried a different tactic.

"Mikihisa-sama," The samurai began, ever the formal one, "I think you are being a tad irrational. I highly doubt that having a piercing will decrease people's respect for you and your family. They may even respect Yoh-dono more for having the courage to get it done!"

"That is not the point," Mikihisa ground out, stopping abruptly at a red light. "The point is that he has broken the law, and that he has gone against all that is moral."

Yoh rolled his eyes. There seemed to be no reasoning with his father. He hoped that the man would calm down when they arrived at the store.

Amidamaru was wise enough not to question Mikihisa further.

_**Five minutes later**_

Mikihisa strode over to the counter, his son's hand clasped tightly in his own. He pulled the boy's battle costume top up, and pointed to the boy's stomach.

"What the HELL is that?!"

The man behind the counter looked at the piercing incredulously.

"I believe it is a navel piercing."

"I am well aware of that." Mikihisa snarled, yanking his son's shirt down again roughly, almost ripping the newly sewn material. "What I ask of you is why you did not think to ask this boy for ID when you… Inserted that… That thing… Into his body!!"

Yoh glanced around the shop. Everyone had quieted to watch the showdown, and he looked down, embarrassed. The nearest even had brought out her videophone, intent on recording the entire ordeal. It made Yoh's cheeks flush redder.

The man behind the counter, who also happened to be the one who pierced Yoh's bellybutton, gestured to Yoh.

"He seemed happy enough to have the piercing. That's all that matters." He commented, flicking his unusually long hair over his shoulders. The man himself, Kenji, happened to have a variety of interesting piercings himself. The ones Yoh could see were three lip rings; five piercings in each ear and an eyebrow bar, seemingly very recent – The skin surrounding the bar seemed a bit swollen and red.

Mikihisa growled, tugging on the boy's collar. "Do you have any consideration for the law?" He growled, "This boy is only fourteen! How dare you corrupt him?"

'Shut up, shut up, shut up…' Yoh prayed in his head, not allowing himself to look behind him, just in case he couldn't contain his laughter anymore.

His father was losing it – There was no other logical explanation for it. His cheeks had reddened in his fury _through _the mask, his fists slamming onto the counter before him, his teeth gritted so tightly you could hear every intake of breath whistle between the gaps. Besides, who would ask such stupid questions? And of course the assistant was going to be sarcastic with him! The answers were obvious, and that was what had enraged Mikihisa further.

Kenji shrugged. "Sir…" He began with a sigh, his mind skipping back to a part of his training that had taught him how to deal with awkward costumers. Namely, furious parents or carers. "It is not illegal for a child under sixteen to get a part of his body pierced with consent of the parent. Whilst we now are fully aware that your son didn't have parental consent, we apologise to you and understand your anger, but there is nothing we can do about your son's body piercing. It has been done."

Mikihisa continued to glare at the man.

"Take it out."

Kenji blinked a few times. "Sorry?"

"Take it out," Mikihisa repeated, straightening his back. His voice had risen in volume until he was practically screaming it. "TAKE IT OUT!!"

Tsumi – Amethyst: Ooh, Mikihisa is pissed. :D Wonder what will happen next?

Please review.

XXX


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